Director of Food Programs and Operations
Corey Adney is no stranger to nonprofit work. He’d worked in a few different nonprofit leadership roles in the past, gaining a strong background in operations and logistical planning. But before coming to PROP, he had ventured into the for-profit sector for about two years. However, he realized it wasn’t the place for him. “I was not feeling very fulfilled and missed the aspect of being in nonprofit work where you’re striving for something more than money,” Corey explained. Luckily for Corey, he discovered a job posting for PROP and started here in December 2023.
As Director of Food Programs and Operations, Corey’s main focus lies in managing the food shelf operations. He ensures that each volunteer shift has enough slots filled, that appointment-setting software is functioning properly, and oversees budgets for purchasing needed food items. Corey also onboards all new volunteers. The day-to-day job places a heavy emphasis on communication with the PROP team. “All of that tends to be the biggest parts of the day-to-day: where’s our food stock at and how many bodies do we need,” Corey said.
But Corey’s role isn’t only important for the day-to-day — he’s made two major changes to PROP operations that are having a lasting, positive impact on the organization.
One of these changes was revamping PROP’s client intake process. In February 2024, Corey led the shift in operations that separated the intake process from the Food Mart. Before then, first-time clients needed an intake appointment to fill out necessary paperwork before they could schedule an appointment with the Food Mart. Then, the earliest appointments in the Food Mart are typically two weeks out. Now, intake appointments can happen within the same day of a new client calling, alongside the guarantee of a box with pre-packed food. “They’re not leaving here empty-handed, and we’re able to get them in sooner,” Corey said. “Because of that, we have seen the number of no-shows in the Food Mart go down. We’ve also had less people no-showing for those intake appointments.”
Corey’s second big change for PROP was partnering with NEAR, a food shelf located in Crystal, Minn. In the past, PROP would have to dispose of a lot of food on Fridays because it wouldn’t make it through the weekend. NEAR is open later than PROP on Fridays, so he coordinated a partnership between the two shelves so NEAR can distribute the additional food from PROP at the end of each week. “They’re able to get it out to their clients, and that’s been saving about 500 pounds of food per week that is now going through the redistribution chain instead of being thrown in the garbage,” Corey shared.
Within Corey’s short time at PROP, he has already gone above and beyond through these efforts, representing his compassion and his dedication to the PROP mission.
In terms of future changes, Corey hopes that PROP can expand its capacity to meet the ever-growing problem of food insecurity. But for himself, “Become a well-rounded, well-trained member of the team so I can jump in and support wherever they need it,” Corey expressed. “It takes a village to keep all the wheels on the bus for an operation of this size.”